


Origins

by MagicaCat



Category: Bittybones - Fandom, Living Doll - Fandom, Pose Skeleton - Fandom
Genre: Bittybones (sort of), Gen, living doll, pose skeleton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 01:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11636205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicaCat/pseuds/MagicaCat
Summary: Some people find dolls disturbing. Some people love them and treat them gently. Some even treat them like display objects or art models or fidget toys.What would happen if the dolls were aware? What if a way was found to breathe "life" into them?This is the story of some tiny skeleton dolls who have had just that happen to them. Where do they go from here..?





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> BittyBones story - SORT of ^^;  
> You know those adorable little Re-Ment skeleton dolls? Those sweet little guys are the focus of this story :D (Some pics may be included!)

***

  
"Can you hear me, little one?"  
The soft voice cut through the dark and I followed it curiously.  
"That's it. Good. Very good."  
Things were coming into focus. I could see someone - someone huge! - leaning over me. They were the one talking softly.  
"Come forward. You're almost there. You're almost awake."  
I turned my head a little and almost gasped in suprise. Someone else was watching me too. Someone my size. Someone who looked curiously amused as my vision became clear.  
"Where..?"  
The figure glanced up at the huge presence above us and I turned my gaze back.  
"Good. Can you sit up?"  
A finger that was almost the same size as my whole body was offered and I used it to pull myself to a sitting position.  
"Where am I?" I turned to the small figure now at my side. "Who are you?"  
The figure shrugged. "Woke up here about five minutes ago. Your guess is as good as mine."  
A deep chuckle sounded above our heads and the giant laid an open palm beside us.  
"Now you're both awake, we can start answering some of those questions."

***

"So... let me get this straight." The other figure pushed himself to his feet and began pacing around the small table we both sat at. "You expect us to believe that we-" he gestured to himself and threw his arm wide to include me, "-are inanimate playthings, purchased by you for the sole purpose of- of what? Givin' us some kinda 'spark' so's we can be sold on to unsuspectin' folks? What's the point in that?"  
The giant didn't look angry at being spoken to like this - in fact, they seemed more delighted than anything else.  
"Think of it as 'market research', if you will. What we really want to find out is how attached people will get to 'playthings' that seem to have a presence all their own."  
"But that's so dumb. Why not just tell them what they're getting?"  
"We want to see how they treat you if they believe you're not alive."  
"So exactly what's in it for us? You're sendin' us into who-knows-what without even knowin' how we're going to be treated - why _bother_ giving us your so-called 'spark'? So's we know if we're being hurt and abused?!"  
"The customers we choose are vetted first" said the giant, soothingly. "We'll make sure you're in as little danger as possible and that whoever you go to will at least offer some rudimentary care despite them believing you are simple dolls."  
The small figure looked slightly mollified but still crossed his arms over his chest. "How can you be sure?"  
The giant laughed and the little guy lost his balance as the rumbles shook the table.  
"Oh, I am sorry." They offered their finger to help him up again but he pushed it away with a scowl and climbed to his feet.  
"To answer your question," he continued, "we have the... ability to imbue inanimate objects with life. What makes you think we'd be unsure about those we send them on to?"

***

I'd been quiet as I'd preferred to watch and listen, and my companion had seemed happy to ask any questions anyway. We were sitting in a large room, filled with comfortable, doll-sized furniture at the moment and my thoughts were racing. Dolls imbued with life? It was an interesting idea.  
A voice broke into my reflections. "So what do you think of all this?"  
I turned my head slowly and gazed at the other figure. "I'm... not sure what to think. It's interesting. But I'm not sure it'll work."  
"How come?"  
"Well-" I wrinkled my brow, considering how to put it. "-if they want our owners to get attached to us without knowing what we are... why not give us a more appealing form?"  
"Huh, speak for yourself."  
I returned his grin after a quick glance.  
"Though- you do have a point," he went on, considering his reflection in the small mirror. "Why skeletons, of all things? There are plenty of dolls that are somewhat more appealin'!"  
"How do you know?"  
"Huh?"  
"I'm curious. You seem so... knowledgable. Yet you said you only woke up five minutes before me."  
"Heh, well five minutes can make a lot a' difference, kid" he winked before looking thoughtful. "I was awakened by someone who looked older than our guide over there. Maybe that makes a difference."

***

We spent a little time training to freeze at a millisecond's notice, how to stay rigid and stiff when being handled - pretty much how to act like the toys we were supposed to be. It helped that we couldn't feel physical pain; our guide (as my companion liked to call them) said they couldn't be 100% certain that we wouldn't be purchased as a gift for a child and nobody wanted us to suffer unduly. It was a nice touch.  
We were treated well, but I started feeling anxious as the days passed. I worried about what the future held, where I was going to end up when our 'training' was done, what kind of life awaited us. My companion jokingly began calling me "Quiz" as I asked question after question of our guide, of him and of anyone around us. I didn't learn much about where we'd end up or what the process was to breathe life into us in the first place, but asking quelled the wriggling in my non-existent tummy and nobody really seemed to mind answering what questions they could.  
"Look, Quiz" my companion said, slightly exasperated at my rhetorical questions about the future as we hung out one night, "I don't know. None of us do an' we won't until we get to where we're going. Quit worryin' about it and just deal with it when it comes."  
"I know" I grimaced. "Just... it makes me feel better."  
He sat up and gave me a curious look. "Would it help if you could see the list a' potential owners?"  
I blinked at him. "How would I do that?"  
He gave me a grin and winked. "Maybe somebody watched our guide puttin' their password into the system and knows where to find the information."  
"Boy, you know how to get to the heart of an issue, don't you?" I laughed, rather impressed.  
"Straight as an arrow, that's me" he chuckled. "Come on, we got a bit of a walk to the nearest computer." He gazed at our short legs rather ruefully while I giggled at his expression.  
"Pity you can't fly like an arrow" I teased and he mock-scowled at me.  
"Is this developin' into a nickname? Quiz an' Arrow - I suppose it's got a ring to it!"  
"Makes us sound like brothers" I mused.  
"Well, we were kinda 'born' at the same time," he said, slinging an arm around my shoulders to make me walk faster. "Guess that makes me the older brother!"  
"Only by five minutes!"  
"Told ya kid - they make all the difference." He threw me a wink and I laughed, walking quicker.  
"I suppose we do look quite alike" I said, mischievously.  
"Oh great, not just brothers but _twins_ now?" he teased, laughing. "That'll give our guide a few grey hairs - I don't think we were meant to get attached to each other!"  
The thought made us both laugh as we sneaked down the long corridor to where Arrow said the closest computer was. I had almost forgotten why we were doing this in the first place until we got to the dark room.  
"C'mon then bro. I'll give you a hand up."  
Arrow had already climbed halfway up the table leg and was reaching a hand down with a grin. I had noticed a few differences between us in the last few days, his physical strength being one of them; he hauled me up beside him with what looked like no effort at all and continued shinnying up the leg like he was attached to a rope. I was a lot slower but he made sure to offer me his hand when I got into difficulties and it wasn't long before we were standing on the tabletop, bathed in the light from the computer's monitor.

***


	2. Two

***

Arrow had energetically stamped on the keyboard to input the filched password and was now flipping through various documents at lightning speed.  
"What exactly are you looking for?" I asked, slightly dizzy at the flickering of the screen.  
"There's a folder around here that has- ah-ha! Here it is. Look."  
I craned my neck to find a respectable list of folders bearing what looked like names as their titles. The names seemed to cover every country and language I knew - and some I didn't! Arrow was looking especially pleased with himself and gestured to the screen.  
"So where d'you want to start?" he grinned.  
"Uhm..."  
He chuckled, not unkindly, at my confusion. "How 'bout you think of what you'd like your new owner to be like" he said gently, clicking a button. "-And we'll see if there are any matches." A search bar popped up, the cursor blinking patiently.  
I tilted my head, thinking. I hadn't really thought what I would _like_ my new owner to be like. I'd been too busy worrying about if they would be cruel or not.  
"Uhm" I said again. "I- I'd want them to be kind. Can you sort the list by that?"  
Arrow shrugged and typed in 'kind' to the search bar by trotting to the relevant letter and stamping on it. When he clicked the 'search' button, the screen whirled for a moment and the names rearranged themselves. "I guess you can" he chuckled. "What else?"  
"What?"  
"What other traits do you want your new owner to have? 'Kind' doesn't narrow things down much."  
I frowned, thinking. "Creative. Erm. Gentle? Imaginitive, I guess. Intelligent. Sensitive."  
"'Sensitive'?" Arrow snorted, typing it in. "You want someone who's gonna drown you in tears?"  
"No" I laughed. "But it would be nice if whoever I go to would maybe be able to tell I'm not just a- a plastic doll."  
"Hm. Actually, that's pretty good thinking." He looked slightly impressed and I grinned.  
"I'm not just a bonehead" I quipped and he giggled.  
"Anything else?"  
"What's that word for someone who doesn't care what others think?"  
"Uh... 'independent'? 'Non-conformist'? 'Unconventional'?"  
"Any of those."  
Arrow giggled again as he typed. "You really think you need to have that in here, bro? They're gonna be ordering a little skeleton doll after all - don't sound much like someone who'd follow the crowd."  
"That's a good point. But keep it in anyway."  
"Alrighty." He clicked on 'search' again and the screen whirled, reorganising. I nibbled the the tip of my finger, watching, glad that I didn't have a stomach to churn.  
The list was substantially shorter when it finally came to a halt, the names only filled one page. Arrow clicked on yet another button and they rearranged once more.  
"What did you do there?" I asked curiously.  
"Sorted the names by relevance" he grinned. "The top ones will have most, if not all of the traits you mentioned, the further down the list you go, the less of a match they'll be."  
"That's... really clever" I told him, feeling excited.  
He tapped his temple and winked. "I'm not just a bonehead either".

***

We spent a little time clicking through the names. Most of them had a photograph attached, usually one that looked like it had been taken from an online social account. I vetoed one of a man holding a beer bottle and another of a woman with two children hanging off her neck. The third looked nice, but there was something around her eyes that made me uncomfortable. They reminded me of empty tunnels.  
The fourth made me stand up and curiously approach the screen for a better look.  
It wasn't a photograph, this one - it was a drawing. The figure looked into the camera, a small smile playing around her mouth, flashing a peace sign. Pointed ears poked through silky-looking hair, neat fur covered a pretty face and a short muzzle and the hand she held up had small but sharp-looking claws topping the fingers.  
"I like this one" I breathed, staring into the bright eyes.  
Arrow snorted softly. "You do know that's a drawing, Quiz? She won't really look like that."  
"If she's using it as a profile picture, maybe that's how she sees herself."  
Arrow shrugged and clicked on the drawing, and information flooded the screen. I read greedily, learning her name (Terri), her interests (reading, writing, drawing, films, photography), that she had two cats (she jokingly referred to them as 'the brats') and that she apparently had a little bit of an obsession with skeletons. Every other picture that accompained her information was of one, some she had drawn herself according to the caption, others that she just seemed to like the look of. There were also plenty of her spoiling her cats, some artsy shots of food and buildings and flowers, screenshots of her favourite films (quite a few skeletons there too) and other drawings that were similar to her profile picture.  
"She's perfect." I turned to Arrow who was looking at the pictures thoughtfully. "How do we get her to place an order?" I asked enthusiastically, sure Arrow would know. However, he only gave me a blank look that re-formed to something approaching pity.  
"I've no idea, Quiz" he said gently. "I knew where to find this information 'cause our guide accessed it when we were in the room, but... I don't know anything about how they get in touch with potential owners or how we're 'chosen' to go to them."  
I felt myself deflate. Of course. Arrow didn't know much more than I did - he was more observant, it was true, but even he had limits. He wasn't a mind reader, after all.  
The disappointment was almost overwhelming and I sat on the keyboard, feeling like my legs wouldn't support me for much longer.  
I felt an arm wrap around me in a quick hug. "Now, don't be down about it, little brother. We have all this information at our - well, not fingertips, but - I think I might have a plan."  
"You- do?" I asked, a little swell of hope coming back.  
"Sure" said Arrow cheerfully, using the mouse wheel to scroll back up through the information on the page. "First, we need to contact her. Maybe she has a phone number or something."  
There was a few minutes silence as we read carefully, then Arrow gave a quiet whoop and dug an elbow into my ribs. "Email address!" he grinned.  
I surged to my feet, my eyes taking in the line of text. "Arrow, you're brilliant!"  
"I know" he preened, then giggled at me. "Now. We have to work out what to tell her." He gazed at me consideringly for a few minutes. "We can't give too much away, Quiz. If they find out we've done this, they're not going to be happy. But if we can somehow get you to her without risking their experiment then they probably won't go chasing after you. My plan is to get her to place an order for a doll, and send you instead. She's not going to know the difference and they can collect the data they need - everyone wins. We just have to make her aware of you- "  
"Of us" I interrupted.  
"Huh?"  
"Make her aware of us, not just me."  
He gave me an odd look and I felt like the happy little ballon in my chest had suddenly developed a puncture.  
"You- you are coming with me?"  
Arrow looked away, back up to the screen and began clicking buttons.  
"Arrow?"  
"Look kid. We have no control here. I'm tryin' to see if we can tilt the odds in your favour a bit but I have no idea if it's gonna work. Her liking for skeles in general might do the rest if I can send her some information on little skeleton dolls for use as- as art models or somethin', but it's no guarantee. And even if it does get the result we want... well, what are the chances she'd want two of us?"  
"They're as good as the chance she'd want _one_ ," I argued.  
"Sure. But if she does decide to go ahead - someone's gotta get you packaged up and sent to her."  
"The guides would do that-"  
"No. We want to make sure _you_ get sent and we don't want them to know what we're up to until it's too late. You chose her, little brother. If she comes back and says she wants you, I'll make sure you get there. I can't do that if I'm in the box with you, can I?"  
I gaped at him for a moment. "But-"  
Arrow gave me a small smile. "But let's get the ball rollin', eh?"

***

Arrow ended up making a generic email address and sending her information on 'pose skeletons' along with a few photographs of me taken by the connected webcam, pretending to be a normal doll and showing my poseable joints.

  

He suggested that I'd be ideal as a reference model for an artist like her, and I would even make a fun photography subject. I spent my time trying to convince him to come with me if we got the chance but he feigned deafness and didn't even acknowledge my words.  
"There" he said finally, clicking 'send'. "Now we have to wait. I can probably sneak back here in the next few days to check this - if all goes well then we just have to wait for them to leave at the end of the day, get you packaged up, then it's a matter a' sticking the parcel in the outgoing mail for the morning-"  
"Arrow."  
He looked at me, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Stop. I can't come with you Quiz, so stop goin' on about it."  
"But-"  
He sighed and came to stand in front of me, placing both his hands on my shoulders. "Look, little brother. This whole thing was to make you feel better. You've managed to find someone that you're actually excited about meeting and living with and that makes me happy. If this-" he turned his head and squinted up at the screen for a moment, "-Terri had given her mailing address anywhere, I'd have you packaged up and sent tonight and tell her she- she won a competition or something. As it is, we gotta do it this way."  
He was right and I knew it - and I was thoroughly annoyed about it.  
"What are you going to do?" I asked.  
"I told you, we'll wait for her to place the order-"  
"No, I mean... I mean when I'm... gone. If I get to go?"  
"Keep the faith, bro."  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
He waved a hand and grinned. "I'll be fine. Maybe I'll break out an' go see the world."  
"Arrow..."  
"What? I'll be FINE. It's not like they're gonna find a four-inch tall skeleton doll so easily, is it?"  
"Arrow..."  
"Will you relax? Maybe I'll just stay here and see who they send me to."  
"Arrow! You have a reply!"  
He followed my gaze to the (1) in his inbox, indicating he had an unread message, gave a whoop and almost sent me spinning off the keyboard in his haste to get to the mouse.

***

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too sure whether this is really suitable for here - it's KIND of fanfic but also kind of not..? xD  
> What do you think, guys? Should I go on?


	3. Three

***

It took about a week for us to find out how the billing and postage worked for new owners. A combination of Arrow's observation skills and "innocent" questions from me that I prayed didn't arouse suspicions in anyone, and we had the details memorised and sent to Terri. She almost immediately placed her order with a sweet little note saying she "couldn't wait to meet her new friend". If I'd had any doubts about choosing her, they evaporated as I read this.  
"Nice choice, Quiz" Arrow chuckled as he helped me into the clear plastic packaging. "I think you're going to be happy with her."

 

I lay back, finding the moulded plastic surprisingly comfortable, and looked at him. "Arrow, can't you-"  
"No" he replied flatly. "She ordered _one_ not two."  
"But- we could say it was an- an error, or an offer or-"  
"Quiz, we're already pushin' our luck. By the time they realise you're gone, it'll be too late to call you back, at least that's what I'm hopin'. If I'm not here to cover for you, if they come in tomorrow and find us both missing and a convenient box sittin' waiting for the postman, d'you really think we're going to get very far?" His expression softened at my stricken look and he gently booped my forehead. "Chill. It'll be fine. I'll distract them and tell them you're not feelin' up to company for a few days. By then, you should have at least left the country and I can transfer the payment properly - then they should be able to work out what's actually happened."  
"What if you get into trouble?"  
Arrow shrugged. "Then you'll be well out of it, won't you."  
"Arrow-"  
"Shush." His smile took any sting from the words as he brought a covering that matched the plastic I was currently lying in from the other side of the table. "Now from what I've heard, once this cover goes on, you'll go into a kind of deep sleep and will only wake up once it's removed again. Let me know if you feel anything or- or you're still conscious, alright?"  
"Okay..."  
"If all goes well, I'll get you into the rest of the packaging and the envelope. With a little luck, next thing you should be aware of is waking up in your new home."  
I felt almost scared as he lowered the cover over me but only a few seconds passed before soft darkness enveloped me and I knew no more.

*

Arrow breathed a sigh of relief as Quiz went unnaturally still. Just to make sure, he tapped gently on the plastic but his brother didn't move.  
He smiled as he manoeuvered the little box into the small plastic envelope and sealed it, then put the whole thing into a bigger, padded envelope that he'd already carefully addressed. He wasn't sure how he was going to climb down the table and get the whole thing to the mailing room, but he supposed he'd manage somehow.  
He'd protected Quiz from the worst of the happenings in the doll "factory". His brother had no idea of the things the handlers had intended to put him through because whenever they called for him, Arrow had pretended to be him and had taken the brunt of their "experiments" himself. If one of them was going to be thrown across the room, smashed into walls, picked up by the skull or arm or leg and dangled or had their limbs bent cruelly back to breaking point, then he was damn sure it wasn't going to be Quiz. Of course he didn't feel pain, at least not physically - it had only made him feel despondent that this was what their 'lives' could end up like.  
That was the whole reason he'd come up with the plan to get Quiz away, hopefully to someone he would be excited to meet. 'That part went better than expected' Arrow mused, holding the envelope under one arm with some difficulty as he climbed down the table leg. He let himself feel a little wistful as he imagined the future - the person Quiz had chosen seemed an ideal owner and although he felt mostly relieved and glad, there was a tiny, traitorous part that couldn't help feeling distressed at the thought of his own future.  
He shoved the thought away and lifted the envelope over his head as he began the long walk to the mailing room.

***

It was dark, and cold, but the air around me smelled sweeter than anything I'd ever known. There was a moment of nothing before the memories came crashing back in and I didn't dare so much as blink.  
"O-oh my gosh, you are the cutest little thing I've ever seen! Look at those _details_ , how on earth do they do them so small?!"  
The voice was hushed, the tone pleasant and with a little hint of amusement. My vision was clearing and it took all my training not to blink as I focused on the face hovering above me. She was smiling, nibbling on her bottom lip, her eyes moving over me as I lay so still. Ah, I'd made it then.  
"I'm going to pick you up, little guy. Hope that's okay!" she giggled and I tried not to smile. She was clearly talking to what she thought was a regular doll to entertain herself but it was balm to my fluttering insides.  
Something cool and soft gently nudged at my sides and a moment later I was held in a gentle grip. There was a rustle as she moved the packaging to one side and gently stood me on a smooth surface.  
"Ooo, you can stand on your own" she smiled. "That's good to know." She picked me up again, moving my legs so that I was in a sitting position and balanced me on her palm. "My gods, that detail is amazing" she muttered. She began manipulating my arms and legs, seeing where the joints were and the range of movement they had. She moved my head back and forth and up and down, so gently, testing how far I could turn, never going beyond comfortable, her eyes lighting up as she discovered my mobility.  
"You're going to be a perfect little model" she told me, laughing and holding me close. "Though perhaps we should get you dressed first, eh? Shame to cover that incredible detail, mind you. Well, maybe we can get a few shirtless pics later." she winked at me and it took all my strength not to wink back, I was already sure I was blushing! Fortunately, the room was fairly dim and she didn't seem to notice.  
She set me down on the smooth surface again and I noticed it had a little give. I stroked it gently when she was facing away from me, unsure what it actually was, then quickly returned my hands to my lap as she turned back. She gave me a curious look and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought she'd seen the tiny movement.  
"Tell you what, little man - you're smaller than I thought you'd be. I'm not actually sure these will fit you" she mused, holding shorts and a tee shirt up to me, much to my relief. So that was the reason for the curious look! "Welp. One way to find out, I suppose!"

*

The tiny clothes fitted quite well - in fact, the little red shorts she gave me reminded me of the ones I had worn in the factory.

 

  
As she took photographs of me sitting in her palm, I guiltily remembered I hadn't even thought of Arrow since I'd woken up. I hoped he was okay and that the guides hadn't punished him or anything. I couldn't really see how they would find out he'd had anything to do with me being sent out to Terri, unless he told them.  
But would he tell them? Would they be able to tell from accessing the computer we'd used? Oh why couldn't he have come with me?  
Absently, I held on to Terri's finger as she posed me and startled when she squealed in delight. "Aww, don't want to let go, little man?" she asked, laughing. "Well I need to move your arm down a little - sorry!"  
I mentally kicked myself and obeyed my training to stiffen my limbs again. I was going to have to be a LOT more careful not to give myself away!  
She spent some time posing and photographing me then sat me in a little rocking chair, chatting all the while. She told me my photos were going on a blog she was just starting and the information email she'd received had come at exactly the right time. "You're quite the muse, you little cutie!" she told me, typing away on a laptop. "We have to find you a name though, I can't have this titled "little bone man" - gods know the type of attention that would attract..."  
I remained still as she frowned at the screen in front of her, but my thoughts were whirling. 'I have a name' I thought. 'Quiz. My name is Quiz.'  
She glanced up and smiled and I honestly thought I had said something aloud.  
"Now what name would suit you, eh?" she asked, gently picking me up again and bringing me close to her face.  
'Quiz' I thought, looking straight at her. 'I wanted you to be sensitive. Hear me. My name is Quiz.'  
She chuckled and lightly ran a fingertip over my head. "I've always sucked at naming things. Maybe I should sleep on it, eh?" She smiled and placed me back in the little chair. "Right now though, I suppose I should really get to work. You be good and I'll see you when I come home!"  
She closed the door of the room behind her and I heard her going from room to room, talking to what I assumed were her cats (she called them spoiled brats) and finally, a heavier door closing before everything went quiet and I was alone.

***


End file.
